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    The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1
    Unavailable
    The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1
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    The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1

    Written by Rick Riordan

    Narrated by Jesse Bernstein

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.

    Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.

    Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

    Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends-one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena-will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 14, 2005
    ISBN9780307245328
    Unavailable
    The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1

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    Reviews for The Lightning Thief

    4/5

    7,996 ratings647 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A lightly entertaining coming of age story that reflects a universal desire to belong to something.The Percy Jackson series hooks us all in the end by forging strong bonds amongst its characters.Although, if you are the rare fantasy hater don't read this book, it will likely cause you to burn it.
    • 5/5
      This was an amazing book I loved how the author was able to tie in ancient mythology into modern times.
    • 2/5
      The idea of this book is very fun, and I did crack a few smiles. I had more difficulty with its predictability and the forced youthful quality of the reader's voice.
    • 5/5
      When I started reading the first book of Percy Jackson, it started to get very interesting and couldn't stop reading. I thought this book was a great book. I have also watched movie and saw some difference and similarity to book.
    • 4/5
      I saw the movie first and this reminded me of what the movie had in it. Really enjoyed the movie and really enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      I did a 2-in-1 review on my blog comparing the book to the movie version. Check it out if you're considering reading or watching!

      Riordan introduces Percy Jackson as this 12 year old kid who can't stay out of trouble. He's been to six different schools and is only in sixth grade. It's not all his fault, though, he just happens to have really weird things happen to him. For instance, he is in sixth grade at Yancy Academy, a school for "troubled" kids. While on a field trip with his class, his math teacher who has always had it out for him turns into this winged demon creature and attacks him. After it happens, no one knows what he is talking about and the teacher, Mrs. Dodds, is replaced by a completely different teacher who everyone thinks has been there all year long. Percy thinks he has lost his marbles. It isn't until he and his mom go on a weekend vacation to their favorite cabin on the beach and get attacked by a minotaur that people decide maybe they should start coming clean with the truth. First of all, Grover, Percy's handicapped best friend, turns out to be not-so handicapped and is part goat. Percy's dad is actually an Olympic god, and that is why he ditched Percy and his mom after she got pregnant. Things go from bad to worse with being chased by the minotaur. Percy's mom gets "taken" (seems to be dead, but isn't dead) right as they arrive to the safe haven that they were all trying to get Percy to before he is attacked. The safe haven turns out to be Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demi-gods to hang out with each other and practice their fighting skills so that they are protected against monsters out in the real world. After finding out some hard truths about his past and predictions about his future, Percy is given the task of taking a quest. He must find who truly stole Zeus's lightning bolt to prove his own innocence. This quest takes Percy, Grover, and Annabeth across the country in one misadventure after another. There are a lot of twists and turns, mostly regarding people not being truthful about who they say they are or who they are loyal to.

      I just loved this book. I loved how Percy is a young kid and it truly reads as though I am reading a 12 year old's thoughts as all of this happens to him. Percy is smart, funny, and witty as well as a bad ass demi-god. I loved the friendships that Percy forms. Grover is his best friend from the start, but once Percy finds out about the truth about Grover, it only brings them closer. There is also Annabeth, the feisty daughter of Athena who wants to hate Percy but needs him as much as he needs her. You can tell there is obvious attraction between the two, but given that they are both 12, Riordan keeps it very innocent and focused on the plot. It was really refreshing.

      Overall, this is just a great middle grades/young adult book that is a fun read. It's a fun light read that lets you use your imagination and lets you feel like a kid again. I'm really excited to get my hands on the rest of the series, because I have heard nothing but good things about ALL of Rick Rioardan's books. I'm definitely a fan!

      5/5 stars
    • 5/5
      Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time that I review this series because it is the one that got me into reading, as well as one of my favorite hobbies, Greek mythology. Yes, I am a nerd. Haven't we already established that? None the less, I hold this series near and dear to my heart. Anyway, onto the review, my friends.

      This book starts off with a troubled 12 year old kid named Percy Jackson-who lives in New York with his mom- and his best friend Grover. He is constantly going in and out of schools for many different reasons, and never feels like he truly belongs. Until one day, when he has to kill his math teacher because she is really a monster(aren't all math teachers?). A while after that he finds out that his Greek Mythology teacher is Chiron(go figure), and also that his best friend is really a satyr...Yeah. I love this book, oh my gosh. He, his mother and Grover are chased by the Minotaur. in the chase Percy kills the beast and then passes out(*swoon* what a manly man.We all end up having a crush on him in the end). He wakes up in Camp Half-Blood, a camp for demigods, and meets Annabeth Chase(*wiggles eyebrows*), along with many others. I'm not going to tell you all the details, but some pretty awesome stuff goes down. Percy ends up going on a quest. He kills like ten thousand monsters, goes to the Underworld and talks to Hates, kills Medusa, and defeats Ares. You know, just the everyday norm. He's a hero, and this review....
      You can find the rest of this review (along with many more) here.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to read this book, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Percy is a loveable hero who suffers from ADHD, as well as dyslexia. However, these disabilities do not stop him in any way. He is clever, courageous, loyal and stubborn, and his inability to keep quiet at times can land him in serious trouble. I also really liked Percy's two friends, Grover and Annabeth who accompany Percy on his quest. I am so glad I finally picked up this book as Riordan has woven a page-turning, modern, action-packed adventure effortlessly with Greek mythology to create a delightful read for all ages.
    • 5/5
      The Lightning Thief is the first book in Rick Riordan's young adult oriented five book Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. As one would expect, the central character of the story is Percy Jackson, who opens the book as a fairly typical twelve year old struggling through his classes, dealing with both ADHD and dyslexia and trying to fit in socially and avoid getting kicked out of yet another school. Everything is turned upside down for him when he discovers that he is pursued by mytholgical monsters, his favorite teacher is actually Chiron, and Grover, his only friend, is actually a satyr who spends his time combing the Earth for the children of the Gods. In what is surely the fantasy of every socially awkward kid struggling through middle-school, Percy learns that he is, in fact, one of those children, which makes him a demi-god.Percy quickly finds out, however, that being a demi-god means that monsters will hunt you down and try to kill you, which is why Grover and the other satyrs seek them out, so they can take them to safety. Along with his mother, Percy and Grover flee in his stepfather's car to Camp Half-Blood. Along the way Percy's mother is killedby a minotaur, which Percy slays. Camp Half-Blood turns out to be not just a refuge, but a a training ground for would-be heroes, and Percy, his parentage undetermined, takes up residence in the Hermes house. Things go more or less well until a crisis forces Percy's divine parent to openly claim him, and then sends Percy, along with grover and his newfound friend Annabeth (daughter of Athena) on a quest across the country to enter the Underworld and recover Zeus' stolen masterbolt. The heroes face several classic villains of Greek mythology along the way, make the acquaintance of Ares, the God of War, and finally confront Hades in his throne room. Of course, things aren't as simple as they appear to be on the surface, and various subtrefuges are revealed until finally the ultimate villain is uncovered and his plan foiled.Through the book the story rolls forward at a pretty swift pace, moving Percy and his companions from point to point in fairly short order. The only somewhat slow portion of the book is between when percy arrives at Camp Half-Blood and when he sets out on his assigned quest, as most of the world building that develops Riordan's alternate reality takes place in this section, requiring a fair amount of information to be dumped on the reader while limited actual action is taking place. The other major weakness of the book crops up here too, which is that while everyone is wondering about who Jackson's actual divine parent is, the clues dropped are so heavy handed that any reader with any knowledge at all concerning Greek mythology will figure it out in pretty short order, and be left wondering why all these figures from actual Greek mythology like Chiron and Dionysus remain befuddled.The one major criticism I have of the book is the idea that Mount Olympus, and thus the Greek Gods, follow the heart of Western culture and civlization about, which is why Mount Olympus is located above New York City in the book. Leaving aside the fact that it take a considerable amount of hubris to assert that the United States is the "heart of the West", the various cults of the Greek Gods were, by and large, impediments to the development of Western thought and culture. It was only when the Greek philosophers rejected the various divine explanations for things that science began to flourish - the birth of the idea of a natural universe probably began when Thlaes left Marduk out of his explanation for how the continents formed out of the sea. And the Greek Gods in Riordan's version live up to this - they are petty, vain, argumentative, short-sighted, and quite simply exemplars of why they aren't the source of Western culture, all the while remaining completely in line with their established character traits from actual Greek mythology.Even so, Riordan has created a very believable fantasy reality, weaving in the mythological Gods and monsters of Greek myth into the fabric of modern life, giving the fantastic elements of the story a rooting in reality that serves as a reference point for young readers. Through their travels, Percy, Grover and Annabeth meet and overcome foes, but those foes are embedded in the world around them sufficiently well that famous figures of Greek mythology such as Medusa or Procrustes don't seem out of place (although a knowledgeable reader will probably spot the monsters long before the heros in the story do). The strong background coupled with the well-paced action scenes and the fact that all of the youthful protagonists are quite well-written and likable characters makes The Lightning Thief a great young adult fantasy, and an excellent book for any young reader who loves Greek myth, or just one who would enjoy being introduced to it.
    • 5/5
      his book had been on my list of books to read for a long time. The release of the film really inspired me to want to read it, not to mention borders had the hard cover copies on sale for $10. I was surprised that I really really enjoyed this book! It is about a young boy who finds out that he is the son of a god but not of just any god one of the big three .. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. He is accused by Zeus of stealing his master lightening bolt and if it is not return by the summer solstice, then there will be a war between the big three worthy of being called World War 3. He must go on a quest to retrieve the stolen item and return it to its rightful owner before time runs out.One of the greatest things about this book is that it answers the question of what it would be like if ancient greek gods were still around today. It stays true to Greek mythology but takes on a modern twist. Percy is todays Hercules and a true hero. He is a very likable and believable character. I love his confusion of a world he thought was fictional and how he goes through feelings of disbelief. It's nice that throughout his adventures he encounters memorable villains found in the myths. His companions are charming, helpful, and trustworthy. I like how he has one demigod and a satyr accompanying him instead of two demigods. The book was really slow in revealing who his father is and reader can easily figure it out before he does himself. This does not bother me because it is a perfect play on how the gods like to make big dramatic statements. I really appreciated the small details in the book and it's a good read for all readers young and old.I decided to read this book before I went to theater to watch the movie adaptation. The book version of most movies are usually better and this one is no different. I think I may be more critical of the movie because there are a lot of thing that have to be left out due to time restraints. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had not read the book first. However, overall, the movie was good and the special effect were excellent. They made good choices for the actors selected to portray the characters. There were a lot of things about it that I did not like and it did not stay as true to greek mythology as the book did. If you have seen the movie, whether you liked it or not, I strongly suggest you read the book it will make parts of the movie make more sense plus it's just plain good.
    • 4/5
      One of the clearest memories I have of elementary school is my 6th grade teacher reading the story of Persephone, Demeter and Hades to the class from Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. The Greek gods captivated me from the start. After that day in class, I scoured the library for every book even remotely hinting of Greek mythology, so you can imagine my delight when I picked up The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The gods, alive and well in Manhattan? Monsters and godlings among us? A dangerous quest? Oh yeah!

      Percy Jackson isn’t like other kids, a thought that becomes fact when, in the first chapter, he turns his evil Math teacher to dust with a ballpoint-pen-turned-sword. His life goes from bad to worse when he’s sent home from boarding school with an invitation not to return next year. Living with his stepfather, Smelly Gabe, is even worse than boarding school, but life gets even more complicated when Percy and his mother are attacked by The Minotaur while fleeing to the safety of Camp Half Blood, a training ground for demi-gods. Percy soon learns that his real father is the god Poseidon, and he is potentially one of the most powerful “heroes” to come along in years. But all is not well on Mt. Olympus. Someone has stolen Zeus’ thunderbolt, a most powerful weapon, and all fingers point to Percy. To prove his innocence, Percy, along with Daughter-of-Athena Annabeth and a satyr named Grover, embarks on a dangerous quest to the Underworld, where he learns a thing or two about friendship, trust and self-worth.

      Action abounds from the first pages of this book. Great characters, great story, superb writing. My only quibble comes from the feeling I kept getting that I was reading a Harry Potter book. We have a boy who never fit in, finding out he has remarkable powers, teaming up with a smart, sassy girl who has equally strong powers and a less talented but very amusing third boy — all sent off on a quest to recover something very powerful that, if in the wrong hands, could mean the end of the world. Throw into the mix a mysterious, powerful, and dangerous evil thing that everyone thought was dead and we have…..Sorceror’s Stone, anyone? Even the typeface used for the chapter headings was the same as in the HP books.

      Despite the similarities to HP, The Lightning Thief was a fabulous read, and I can’t see any kid putting it down. Read the first chapter to a class and I guarantee they’ll be in the library looking for this one.
    • 5/5
      The first of the series by Rick Riordan. If you've only seen the recent movie, please please please read the book. The movie was good, but the book is better. That's not just my belief, but also that of most of the 5th graders who read this novel. I'm hooked now, and will read the rest of the series. What a great way to get kids (and adults) excited about Greek mythology.
    • 4/5
      The Lightning Thief is a wonderful story that follows a slightly cliche'd boy in Percy Jackson —he struggles in school, with relationships, and comes from a supposed broken home.

      Like many other self-discovery and coming of age stories, through various events Percy comes to understand that he's special, and their is more to him and his "struggles" than he could have known.

      He has been framed for stealing Zues' famed lightning bolt. The adventure ensues in which Percy seeks out and discovers the real lightning thief. Along the way he meets a host of fun, and well-developed characters (both good and evil), until he has the final reckoning with the real thief.

      I would recommend this book, and this series, for sure. Rick Riordan has carved himself out a nice niche with his original, well-executed idea.
    • 5/5
      Great book for help getting over a reading slump, which I'm currently experiencing at the moment.

      Mythology is one of my most favorite sub-genres, I could tell the author did a lot of research on the topic and I really liked his interpretation. It didn't stretch too far from the original stories, but it was creative and interesting in it's own way. Exciting and adventurous would be the words I would use to describe this book.
    • 5/5
      This was a really great book. I've always had a soft spot for greek mythology, and I was not let down. Each and everyone of Percy's adventures were action filled and exciting. The writing was amazing and the dialog was enticing and witty. I watched the movie before I read the book and I can now see how much it was lacking. Never doing that again. Can't wait to read the sequel.
    • 4/5
      This was pretty good. It seems to borrow a lot from Harry Potter in a superficial way. I think it's great that it's getting a new generation of kids interested in mythology. The premise is that the Greek gods still sleep with mortals and demi-god children are born and what happens to them.
    • 5/5
      I was not expecting to wnjoy this book as much as I did. My 9 year old recommended it to me. It was great! The storyline was fantastic, lots of action and fun. I can't wait to read more in this series.

      I highly recommend this book!
    • 4/5
      This is a cute kids’s tale. Percy is 12 and apparently gets kicked out of schools often. His mom currently has them living with a dead beat, verbally abusive man that has a body odor problem. Life is just tough on Percy. But it’s about to get a lot tougher when Greek deities and monsters pop up in his life!There were several moments that made me laugh…. like Grover suddenly yanking off his pants. That’s the moment where Percy is all, ‘What the hell!’ but then Grover has fur and hooves below the waist, so Percy is stunned into silence. Grover is a Satyr assigned to protect Percy but he’s been keeping his Greek mythology side on the down low with a disguised lower half. Grover isn’t the only one who’s been keeping their real identity from Percy. In fact, there were a few times I thought Percy’s young mind might melt from the over load of reveals.After a harrowing chase and the death of someone important to him, he ends up at the Half Blood training camp where he meets other kids who are half mortal and half deity. Now, I did think that Percy took that death in stride and it was a bit glossed over. I expected tears for days and scars for life but this book seems to veer wide of any serious stuff. There’s several examples of this, like Medusa and how she really came to be a snake headed monster. It wasn’t some jealousy over dating partners.Anyhoo, pretty soon Percy gets a quest and goes on a road trip. Annabeth (a daughter of Athena) and Grover accompany him. There’s also the gifts from Luke (a son of Hermes). As Western culture has shifted further and further west, key places in Greek mythology have also shifted and several now reside in the USA. I liked this bit of world building because it meant I didn’t have to bang my head against a wall every time a Greek mythological location popped up.Percy isn’t the only one to face their fears and take on a personal challenge in this story. His companions also suffer and have a chance at victory. There’s treachery too. Percy must figure out who his true friends are while also discovering who stole Zeus’s lightning. It’s a fun tale but I didn’t have a strong reaction to it as I did with Harry Potter. 4/5 stars.The Narration: Jesse Bernstein does a really good job. He sounds like a 12 year old boy who has gotten kicked out of a lot of places. His voice for Grover is great, as he sometimes has a little goat in it. His female voices are spot on. There’s several monsters with their various yells, hisses, snorts, etc and Bernstein carries them off without a hitch. 5/5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Good mix of magical adventure and Greek mythology. I had fun listening, and even learned a few things.
    • 4/5
      I'm hooked! I've always loved Greek Mythology, but haven't read any in years....this book rekindled my love for the gods in a whole new way. I love the way Riordan modernized the gods...gotta love the leather-clad Ares and the beach-bum version of Poseidon. So glad I waited to read the book before heading to the theaters to see the movie...it gives me something to look forward to...hopefully, the movie version isn't way off track.
    • 4/5
      This was a lot of fun to read! It was better, in my opinion, than the movie, largely because it filled in a lot of the background bits that typically get left out of a movie. I really appreciated the way Percy and Grover and Annabeth got along--they really learned to work well together and are on the way to building a very solid relationship. I really like the way Riordan writes, and I'll be reading more of his work soon!!!
    • 5/5
      While maybe not as literary as the Harry Potter books, the Percy Jackson books are wonderful in their own way. First, the characters (particularly Percy) are irresistible. Second, they are quick-paced and funny (and probably a good deal easier for some children to read than the Potter books.) Finally, Riordan weaves the Greek Myths through so easily and flawlessly that they will spark an interest in mythology into any kid that picks these books up. The final book in the 5 part series remains, three years later, my fifth grade son's favorite book of all time. These are perfect for kids about 4th grade and up.
    • 3/5
      A good middle grades adventure story. Some fun sly humor for older readers as well and while most of the mythological content is pretty basic, there are a couple of interesting twists. The only real criticism I had was that it seems to rely too heavily for my comfort on gender stereotypes at times (the angelic mother, the smart but not esp. physical girl companion, the struggle for dominance among adolescent males, the importance of being claimed by a father figure). Still, that probably comes with the territory of incorporating Western mythology into the story. I also think the author lays it on a bit thick about the role of "the heart of Western Civilization" as the center of human survival. But, my 12 year old daughter loved it and for myself, I liked it well enough to read more .
    • 3/5
      The book is always better than the movie.

      This was actually not a bedtime story for Jefferson (he'd already read it), but I picked it up because I was going to be teaching a Percy Jackson camp, and didn't want to embarrass myself trying to hold down my end of a conversation. I'm so glad I did, as the differences between the book and the movie were significant. (And it really did pay off in terms of teaching the camp.)

      I can see why kids are crazy about this series, as it is action packed and well paced. That said, those scenes also often felt a little flat, so there were a few scenes improved on in the movie by taking them and blowing them up with big special effects.

      I doubt I'll read the next book in the series, but this was more enjoyable than I expected.
    • 5/5
      Well I decided to listen to the audio of this book on my phone since I was going to be painting. I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I had heard good things about this book and series and decided to start reading/listening to it. I found myself picturing the actual scenes while listening to the story. Now I will have to look at the other books in the series.
    • 4/5
      5 stars from my 9 year old. We both enjoyed this; he's cruising through the series and I'm following in his wake.
    • 4/5
      Great way to learn about Greek mythology, and a fun book to read.
    • 5/5
      I kept seeing this book in my library and was not interested in it at all, but when my librarian recommended it to me to get my opinion if it was a good book I started it and couldn't out it down! It was one of the best read's ever, and part 2-5 could not come in fast enough.
    • 4/5
      The book begins with giving you insight into the world of Percy Jackson. At first he's living a regular, but not so fantastic, life. When all of a sudden, his safe and enclosed world, goes crazy, and he finds himself being rushed into a camp for "half-bloods". With his mother missing, and accusations of him stealing Zues's lightning bolt roaming around, Percy has no choice but to venture into the underworld. With only his father, Poseiden, and his two friends to help him, the odds are against him. They go through incredible, and intense, challenges to prove Percy's innocence. With the world's safety in his hand, and Gods breathing down his back, Percy must clear his name, before time runs out.I personally really enjoyed this book. I found that the constant action really kept me interested and wanting to keep reading. Rick Riordan, the author, also has a very unique and enjoyable writing style. I rated this book a five because I really found that it didn't at any point disappoint me, and i enjoyed every page. Overall, this book had a very engaging concept. It talked about the importance of following through on your goals and standing up for yourself and others. I am extremely excited to read the rest of the books in the series!
    • 5/5
      Summary: Percy Jackson is a struggling student. He happens upon some adventures to find out that he's not the person he thought he was. He's a son of a god and is sent on a quest with two friends. It's a lesson on life & the Greek myths.Personal Response: I heard Rick Riordan speak a couple months ago. He was a great speaker and really inspired me to start reading his books! My son loves his books and I wanted to see if it would be a good read aloud for 4th graders (it could be, maybe with some prior learning). I like the way Riordan incorporates kids who are a little different in real life and helps turn their differences into strengths through his stories. Curriculum Connections: mythology; adventure